Marseilles

(1,625 words)

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Marseille is one among the oldest settlements in Gaul. It was a colony founded on the Mediterranean Gulf of Lion under the name Μασσαλία/Massalia in the later 7th century BCE by Greek (Ionian) ship travelers. Thanks to its port, it soon gained in importance as a center of trade, a role it retains until the present day. It was incorporated into the Roman province Narbonensis in 49 BCE. Under the empire, its urban plan was restructured, and a forum, theater…